Friends Don't
by Red.Likes.Soup
Summary: Butch and Buttercup struggle to admit their feelings while Buttercup tries to save Townsville.


The wind whipped through Buttercup's dark hair as she caught Mitch. The young man didn't stop screaming even in her arms. She tried not to roll her eyes too harshly as she put him down safely. He didn't let go of her shirt right away.

"Mitchell," She said. Buttercup was getting tired of saving people that had to hold onto her clothes. The man let go of her.

"Sorry, Buttercup," he said awkwardly.

"It's fine," She spoke through her teeth. Something exploded behind her. "Toodles." Buttercup zipped off. Her sisters were faring well against the monster. This would hardly be a long fight. Good, she thought, I can still make the show. It didn't take long before the monster was retreating back to Monster Island.

"Buttercup," Blossom asked when she noticed Buttercup turning to leave. "Where are you going? We've got the news reporters." The green eyed Powerpuff smiled.

"You've got this, Bloss. Besides, I'm going to be late if I don't leave now." Buttercup pointed to her watch.

"Don't make her late for her date, Blossom," Bubbles said. Buttercup scowled.

"Not a date," She said. "It's just two friends hanging out."

"Two friends that are both single and have on multiple occasions kissed?" Buttercup's chest warmed at Bubbles' mention of kissing him. She hated how girly she was being. It wasn't a big deal to kiss somebody, and it wasn't like she liked him that way. She'd just been bored a few times. It had been pure boredom.

"Not a date." Buttercup took off in a rush to get to the show.

Butch pulled at the collar of his shirt. He cursed quietly to himself. He shouldn't have decided to wear one of Brick's shirts. He should have worn a ratty t-shirt from his own closet. Butch was already feeling stupid. Buttercup wasn't even on time. There was no way tonight would be anything but disastrous. He felt even more foolish when Buttercup showed up. Granted she was a superhero, and he'd heard something about a monster on main street, but he didn't like wearing a black polo when she was dressed in torn jeans and a green tank top. She had the slightest gleam of sweat on her skin from the fight. She was impossibly attractive and he looked like a dork. Butch wanted to tear his shirt into pieces.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Buttercup said. She ran a hand through her cropped hair. He'd run his hands through it once. Just once. The hazy memory of drunkenly stroking her hair played through his brain. Butch cleared his throat to bury it down. That memory wasn't going to do anything for his nerves.

"No biggie, the opening show hasn't even started." He attempted to turn to the stage where the band was setting up their instruments, but Buttercup was suddenly standing right next to him. Her shoulder brushed his arm. Butch tried to ignore the spark of excitement that ran through him at the slightest touch.

"Dude," Buttercup said. "What the fuck are you wearing?" She tugged the fabric of his sleeve teasingly. Butch was going to set this shirt on fire soon.

"Didn't do laundry, stole something from Brick." He hoped she wouldn't catch his lie. The dark haired girl stared for a fraction of a second then shrugged.

"That's why I moved into my own apartment. I have to do laundry for myself," Buttercup told Butch. She buried down the slight disappointment that it was pure Butch laziness that had resulted in the polo. For one brief moment she'd thought he'd worn it for her. It was dumb she knew and it wasn't as if she wanted him to dress up for her. They were friends. Friends didn't dress up for each other. Buttercup definitely didn't entertain the thought that perhaps she should have borrowed a nicer shirt from Bubbles.

Butch laughed, bringing her out of her entirely ridiculous thoughts. "Remember that time in high school you had to borrow one of Blossom's dresses?" Butch's face was lit up. Buttercup most certainly did not let her gaze linger on the swell of his lips forming that iconic, mocking smile of his. Her face most certainly did not grow hot at the embarrassing memory. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"We swore to never speak of that day ever again," she warned. Butch gave her a teasing look.

"But you looked so sexy in pink," he said. His voice in absolutely no way sent shivers down her spine. That wasn't how being friends worked. She was about to protest when they heard a scream off in the distance. A few moments later her phone chirped with the familiar alert of the Powerpuff hotline. Buttercup gave Butch an apologetic smile.

"Gotta go," She said. Butch's eyes gave away that he was only half focused on her words. "Stop remembering that stupid dress or I'll strangle you with it."

"Oh kinky," Butch called after her, earning himself a certain hand gesture from her.

Buttercup landed at the source of the scream ten minutes later. A mother was searching desperately for her child. Buttercup wasn't sure why the hotline would go off for a missing child, but she wasn't about to not help a worried mother. Buttercup hovered above the area, using her supersight to look for the child in question. After a few minutes, and what she only assumed felt like ages for the mother judging by her panic, Buttercup located and returned the pigtailed gremlin to her mother. Buttercup wasn't too keen on kids, especially when they dropped their ice cream cone on her. The young woman opted to fly back to her apartment quickly to change.

Buttercup didn't expect to throw on a shirt and completely hate it. She was a comfort over fashion kind of girl, but the green t-shirt did not flatter her at all. It didn't even show off her toned arms. Why on earth had she bought this? After rummaging through her closet she found a burgundy tank top that dipped down a little further than most of her shirts. It was completely ridiculous. She should have been content with the green t-shirt. It wasn't like she was trying to look nice. No way. Butch did look nice in the polo though. It hugged his muscles in just the right way. She shook her head, using a rag to wash some stray ice cream from her hair. There was no way she had noticed. Friends did not notice how hot certain shirts made their friends look. That wasn't what friends did and they were just friends.

It had been about forty minutes by the time Buttercup made it back to the show. The opening band was just finishing their set as she landed next to Butch. She certainly didn't land directly next to him so that their skin would brush for the briefest of seconds.

"What was the call about?" Butch asked without looking at her. She was not in anyway disappointed that he didn't notice the low cut shirt.

"Missing kid," Buttercup said. Butch looked down at her, the setting sun giving him a small hallow. Ironic, Buttercup thought, considering he'd been created by the devil himself.

"They called the hotline for a missing kid?" His eyes trailed down to the shirt now. Buttercup resisted the warm feeling in her chest.

"Yeah, and the brat spilled their ice cream on me so I had to go home and change." Buttercup didn't notice the brief flash of disappointment in his eyes.

"Weird that you'd get a call for a missing kid on the Hotline." He looked back at the stage where the headliner's roadies were setting up. Buttercup agreed. She hadn't actually answered her phone when it went off. She supposed the Hotline and missing child could have been unrelated, but her phone would have gone off again if it was a bigger issue. Buttercup's gaze darkened as she pondered. Could there be a chance her sisters were in trouble? She was about to call Blossom when there was a fight deeper in the crowd.

Buttercup groaned. "Sorry, Butch, I'll be right back." She shoved her way through the crowd. Butch had to admit it was pretty hot the way she could part a crowd, considering she was shorter than just about anyone else in the crowd. He bit his lip at the way that shirt hugged her, now that he knew she wouldn't see. He was disappointed that she hadn't changed into it to attract his gaze, but then again, she wasn't that kind of girl. If you loved her, you were going to love her for not giving a shit what you thought. Butch blinked. Love? What the hell was he thinking? He just thought she was attractive that was all.

He didn't use his super hearing to hear what she said when she reached the large fight that had developed. That was until one of the men involved in the fight dared to land a punch to her face. Butch didn't move an inch but his entire body went stiff. He knew what was coming now. It was one of the things he loved, no, _liked_ most about her. Everyone involved in the fight froze as Buttercup slowly lifted her head. A few strands of hair fell across her face. Her eyes had the slightest glow to them and she flashed a threatening smile. The part of the crowd that was uninvolved in the fight collectively backed up several yards.

"I said," Buttercup said through gritted teeth. Oh, the way her voice went low did something to him. "It's time to break it up boys. If you want to fight you need to take it away from here." The man that had struck her was sufficiently drunk, or sufficiently stupid, because he didn't seem the least bit intimidated. He actually spit at her. Damn, Butch thought, she was going to kick this guy's ass.

"I'm not listening to a bitch like you," The man said. Her smile got wider. Buttercup reached out and grabbed the collar of the man's shirt. The fabric smoked in her grasp. Butch had shirt at home with the same burns. His face went warm at the memory. That had been the first time he'd kissed her. They'd been sixteen and in a fight. By that time Butch was no longer a villian, he'd gotten bored with it, but that didn't mean he wasn't young and stupid. He'd gotten himself into a lot of trouble in high school. One particular day he'd caught Buttercup in a bad mood. She'd grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the softball dugout. They'd both been heavily involved in sports back then. There was still a dent in the concrete dugout. That had been the first moment he'd ever noticed how stunning she was. Her eyes had been glowing in anger and her hair had fallen across her face. In his teenage impulsiveness he'd kissed her. The real shocker had been when he'd pulled away and she'd let go of his shirt in order to pull his face back down to hers. Both kisses had been clumsy and tasted like sweat since it had been after practice. It hadn't been until her phone had chirped with the Hotline alert had either of them realized what they were doing. They'd blinked at each other, agreed to never speak of it again, and went about their friendship like it had never happened.

"You'll listen or a bitch like me is going to fly you directly to jail for being a public nuisance," Buttercup said, pulling him out of the memory. The man apparently didn't have a brain because he spat in her face this time. Butch watched knowingly as Buttercup took off into the air, hauling the guy with her. Once they were about a mile up Buttercup dropped the guy. She only let him fall about twenty feet before catching him again, but it was enough to terrify the man. "Oh, I am _soooo_ sorry," Buttercup said. The man gripped at her in terror.

Buttercup returned twenty minutes later after having dumped the guy off at the Townsville police station. Her hair was a tangled mess from all the flying. Butch smiled looking at her.

"Buttercup," He said. She turned those eyes to him. Lord, those eyes. He imagined that if he'd ever been lost at sea, she could have stood on the farthest shore and those eyes would be bright enough to lead him home. That was sappy, Butch thought. What was with him? He wasn't a sappy guy. "Come here, you've got a bug in your hair." She didn't move as he stepped closer to her. Buttercup was angry with herself. Friends didn't get this nervous at the nearness of friends. Neither seemed to notice the way her hands subconsciously gripped at the sides of his shirt while he took her head in his hands to pick the intruding insect from her dark locks. Butch had to admit he could have simply picked the bug out without being this close but he liked to see the darkness of her hair spilling over his hands. For a girl that didn't put much care into her appearance, her hair was incredibly soft. It wasn't naturally this way. Her hair was naturally frizzy and curly. It was still curly, but now it was smooth and sleek. Butch could smell the product.

"There," he said finally noticing the heat of her hands on his torso. He didn't take his hands from her hair. Butch could feel his heart begin to race with the way she looked up at him. The headlining band was starting up and he could barely notice it. He looked at her lips. Was she wearing lip gloss? He wondered what it tasted like. He was just leaning in when someone bumped into them. Buttercup moved out of his grasp as she helped steady the very drunk girl. Butch cussed in his head. How many times was being a superhero going to interrupt them tonight? He was going to lose all his nerve soon.

"Miss, are you alright?" Buttercup asked the girl. "Are you here with anyone?" The girl threw up on Buttercup. The superhero grimaced in disgust at the vomit down her front. She closed her eyes for a second to recollect herself. "Okay, where do you live? I think it's time you went home." A moment later, the Hotline went off. With the drunk girl leaning heavily against her, Buttercup dug out her phone and answered. Butch watched her whole demeanor change. She went from being tired to unbelievably alert. He didn't even bother listening in on what was being said on the other line of the phone. He grabbed the drunk girl from Buttercup's grip.

"I'll make sure she gets home safe, go." Buttercup looked at him for a second. Her eyes looked distraught. His stomach sank. It was serious. The night was over for the two. After she dealt with this, she'd likely go home. He picked the intoxicated girl up. "Go, Buttercup." The superhero was nothing but a green streak after that. He turned his attention to the girl in his arms. "Alright, lady, let's get you home."

Buttercup had never flown so fast. Why hadn't she answered her phone earlier? Why hadn't she called Blossom? She tore through the air before landing clumsily on an already damaged building. She took in the scene before her. Several buildings had been demolished. The citizens had been evacuated. In the center of it all were several of Mojo Jojo's robots. She could see a weak pink streak battling them. Bubbles was nowhere to be seen.

"Bubbles! Blossom!" She cried. Blossom turned her head to look at her.

"He's got Antidote-X!" She called. "Bubbles got hit so she evacuated with the citizens." Blossom dodged a round of bullets. "Where were you?" Buttercup felt the guilt well up. I'd been about to kiss my friend, like an idiot, she thought. That didn't matter. Didn't matter where she'd been. She hadn't been here. Buttercup entered the fight without another word.

Butch turned the news on after his shower a few hours later. He expected to see a rundown of whatever fight Buttercup had been involved in, what he didn't expect was to see live footage. The fight was still going? Butch froze as the camera zomed in. Buttercup was the only Powerpuff still fighting. Bubbles was out of the screen and Blossom was on the ground behind Buttercup. She was hiding behind Buttercup. Bubbles was firing a weak laser to deflect a round of bullets. There was blood running down her face. Butch didn't even bother putting shoes on as he bolted out the door.

One more hit, that was all Buttercup needed to get in. Her head ached from where she'd gotten hit by flying debris. Blossom had gotten hit with Antidote X and was trying to think of a plan that would help Buttercup. The green Powerpuff wished her sister would just run. She would deal with this on her own. She only needed to get one more good hit in.

Buttercup turned her back to Mojo for a second to toss her sister out of the way, just as a missile hit next to Buttercup. Buttercup rammed into a concrete wall. She felt something snap. Probably, a rib, she thought to herself. She could still fight with a broken rib. Blossom screamed at her, but she didn't pay much attention. At least, her sister was now out of Mojo's path. There was only one robot remaining and she only needed to get one good hit in. Buttercup climbed stiffly to her feet. Mojo was cackling. He'd already decided that he'd won. Only one more good hit. Her fist sparked to life with energy. She only had enough left for one hit. Only one more good hit. Buttercup turned her head toward the laughing chimp. She raised her fist as he raised his gun filled with Antidote-X. Only one more good hit. Mojo was faster. Buttercup was thrown backward. She coughed in pain. The monkey-wielded robot loomed in. Buttercup dizzily looked around for anything that she could do. Her eyes landed on a piece of cement. She reached over and gripped it. It was roughly the size of a softball. Buttercup stood up. One more good hit. She didn't bother looking in the direction of the robot before closing her eyes and throwing the cement as hard as she could.

"Ow!" She knew that voice anywhere. Buttercup opened her eyes to see Butch. Mojo Jojo's robot lay destroyed behind him. Butch's fists were still steaming. He rubbed the back of his head where she'd hit him with the cement. She'd never been so relieved in her life. "How ungrateful; I save your life and you try to stone me."

"Butch!" She managed before collapsing to her knees. She let the exhaustion of an hours long fight wash over her. Butch moved faster than he ever had in his entire life. Buttercup had never looked this bad. Her skin was covered in grime and he could see a thousand bruises forming. There was blood all over her face and arms. She leaned against him. Her eyes slid shut for one terrifying moment. "Hey, Butch?" She asked. Butch thought her voice was the greatest sound he'd ever heard.

"Yeah?" It was all he could manage without giving away his terror. She was the toughest fighter. She was superhuman, indestructible. Buttercup was supposed to be unbeatable. She was the closest thing, he thought, to being an immortal. Not even her sisters or he and his brothers could compare. Here she was though. She leaned against him as if there was no strength left in her body. She was the toughest, how could this have happened?

"Can I have your shirt?" She didn't open her eyes. "Mine's covered in dry vomit." Butch tried not to laugh at just how much like Buttercup the request was. She'd be okay. She had to be. That was how right in the aftermath of a fight, Bubbles and an only marginally injured Blossom found Butch gently helping Buttercup out of her shirt and into his clean one. Blossom blinked. She knew that they were close, but she'd never seen the darked haired man act with such careful movements. The redhead moved to take a step forward, but Bubbles grabbed her arm.

"She'll be okay. He's got her. Let's go home," Bubbles told Blossom. The two sisters left their sister with Butch.

"I thought I was supposed to be the superhero," Buttercup said into Butch's neck as he lifted her up. She didn't have much energy left. Butch gave a small smile.

"I guess it's my turn to be a superhero for a moment," He said. Buttercup couldn't stand how soft his voice had become. She wasn't a damsel. She wasn't.

"I'm not supposed to be the damsel in distress," she said. Her voice was thick with emotion. "I'm the hero." Butch hated how sad she sounded.

"You are the hero," he whispered into her hair. "But even heroes need a little help. And besides, you'll have to admit that I make a very sexy hero." She laughed at that, then winced.

"I think I broke a rib," She muttered.

"That's why I'm taking you home, so your dad can give you some Chemical-X and you'll be back into superheroing shape in no time." Butch didn't say a word after that.

After she'd gotten a dose of Chemical-X and her wounds were healed Butch flew her home to rest. She may have had her powers back but she was still exhausted. Buttercup was so tired that Butch had to run a bath and help her in. He was quiet as he peeled off her jeans. Her legs were still covered in dust and sweat under the fabric. Buttercup's eyes were half closed as he helped lower her into the water.

"What?" She asked as he massaged the shampoo into her hair. "No joke about me being naked?" Butch paused to look into her eyes for a second.

"You're so out of it, I doubt you'd catch my joke. Close your eyes." He splashed some water onto her head to rinse out her hair, trying to avoid getting the suds in her eyes. "Besides what is there to say? I now know how padded your bras are?" She tiredly smacked him.

"Jackass," she murmured. She was practically falling asleep in the water.

"Just hang on a couple more minutes," Butch said. "I'll leave you to your bed once you're clean." Once he thought he'd gotten most of the dirt off of her Butch lifted her out of the tub and helped her into a t-shirt and sleep shorts. He carried her off to bed. He pulled the covers over her in silence. She was practically asleep the second her head hit the pillow. He turned to leave. He never made it to the door, she caught his wrist.

"Stay," She whispered into her pillow. Her eyes remained closed. Butch stared down at her. She didn't look like the normal Buttercup. She looked soft without a trace of her trademark scowl. Butch didn't know this version of her, but he knew he liked this version just as much as her regular self. She tugged on his wrist. "Stay." So he stayed. He stayed because for this girl that he liked, no, _loved_ he'd do anything in the world.

In her sleep, Buttercup curled into him. Butch hoped the slamming of his heart in his chest wouldn't wake her up. He hadn't put his shirt back on, after all the cloth was stained with her blood. He'd never wear that shirt again. The dark haired man looked at where she lay with her head against his bare skin. He watched the way the moonlight played on her skin. The shadows and light made her look ethereal. A sleeping goddess. A sleeping goddess who'd asked him to stay. Butch resisted the urge to kiss her head and closed his eyes. In the morning she'd be normal Buttercup, and they'd go back to being friends. He only had one night sleeping next to the green eyed goddess.

Buttercup woke up alone the next morning. She blinked in the morning light. Butch wasn't laying next to her like she'd expected. "Butch?" She called. Her apartment was dreadfully silent. She glanced out her window to see him walking down the street. She supposed she could just watch him walk away. That was what a friend would do. A friend would eat some breakfast and then call him later and thank him for taking care of her. Dammit, she didn't want to be friends though. The young woman didn't bother with the door to her apartment. She opened the window and flew out.

"Butch!" She called as she landed on the ground about ten feet behind him. He turned his head to her. Those eyes of his settled on her face. Heavens, those eyes, she thought. She also couldn't ignore that he was not wearing a shirt. Buttercup suddenly felt very self conscious. Her hair was a mess all she was wearing was a t-shirt and sleep shorts.

"Hey," He said. "I thought you'd sleep a little longer." She opened and closed her mouth multiple times trying to find the words. How was she going to say this? He lifted his eyebrows.

"What is it? Cat got your tongue?" He asked. His hands were in the pockets of his basketball shorts. The sun played on his skin. He looked how she imagined the heroes of Greece had looked. Buttercup groaned.

"Oh fuck it," She huffed. She sprinted forward. Buttercup didn't have to cover the entire distance herself. Butch, seeing her move, met her with a few quick strides. Buttercup threw her arms around his shoulders as she scrambled to kiss him. Butch, who'd thought she was about collapse and had rushed to catch her was pleasantly surprised. He'd never been kissed like this before. Butch's chin was unshaven and scratched her, but Buttercup didn't much care. His hands clutched the fabric of the shirt around her waist. Buttercup tangled her hands in his hair as she kissed him. They had never kissed like this before, but, Heavens, she hoped they could kiss like this for the rest of her life.

When they pulled apart, gasping for air Butch gave her that iconic smile of his. "All I had to do was see you naked once and you kiss me like this?" She smacked him.

"Jackass," Buttercup said before going in for another kiss. Butch put a hand on her mouth. She gave him a look.

"Wait, so how will you kiss me if I take my clothes off? Because I feel like me being naked calls for a different kiss than this one." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Buttercup stepped out of his arms.

"You know what," she said turning her back on him playfully. "I take it back. I'm not kissing you anymore." She started back for her apartment. Butch trailed behind her.

"Oh come on, I was just joking." He laughed. "I take it back."

"Too late, you ruined the moment." Buttercup made it all the way back to her apartment before turning back to Butch.

"Buttercup," he said. He leaned against the door frame as he gazed down at her. "I'm glad you're okay, you had me worried for a second last night." She hadn't expected such a serious change in his mood. She gave him a small smile.

"Yeah, I thought I was done for for a second there," She said then changed her smile. She leaned over and whispered something in his ear before retreating to her apartment. Butch flushed, then a smile spread across his face.

"Oh really?" He called following her into the apartment. The door shut behind him. Buttercup laughed, because what she'd whispered was something friends didn't whisper to each other.


End file.
